Running out to her
by obernewtyn-freak
Summary: Neal and Yuki are the perfect couple right? Well, what if Yuki really hadnt settled in, and Neal still remembered an old love? What if he walked out at the wedding? NK *NEW CHAPTER - 3*
1. Running

Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognise from Tamora Pierce's books.

Beware guys this is not what you might expect. This is a Kel/Neal fic. Just something that came into my head one day as a possibility in the lives of our favourite characters…

Chapter 1 – Running

The crowd made soft 'awe' sounds as the bride stepped onto the carpet. She was a beautiful woman, eastern, with glowing skin and silky, black hair. Today, it had been twisted endlessly around a small bunch of white lilies at the back of her head. Her gown was white, in a hybrid of eastern and common style. She was yamani by birth, but was about to be fully accepted into a new culture, with this marriage.

The groom turned around at the sounds of the audience to see his bride. His mind was buzzing with feeling; indecisiveness, and nervousness. He looked behind her to see his two best friends, arm in arm, walking up behind the bride. Both looked stunning, but his eyes trailed perhaps longer on his very best female friend. The bride finally stepped up to the groom and they faced each other, smiling nervously.

The service began. The mithran priest began saying the ritual prayers to the gods and goddess. Neal tried to stay focused on the situation, and his wife-to-be in front of him. Whatever he did, his thoughts kept on sliding away. For days now he had had the same gut feeling. It had started when he had entered Yuki's rooms without knocking and found her standing quite close to another yamani man. He had dismissed it, but in the back of his brain was the knowledge of how well yamanis could cover their feelings. Even before that, he had sensed that Yuki was still quite uncomfortable with Tortallan culture, and some things were just simply alien to her. They had even started bickering lately. He had a choice to make. He could say 'I do' and continue along, unhappy, or he could run. His mind went back and forth as the ceremony went on, and realised with a start that soon he would do something that would impact on what everyone at court would think of him. He gulped.

Finally came the important part of the service. The priest was talking, the words didn't really matter to Neal, his mind was buzzing with 'Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god.' His heart thumped, his palms sweated so much he had to wipe them on his embroidered coat. There was a gap in the talking. The audience looked at him expectedly. Neal sighed. This could be the beginning of a ruined life.

"Uh, hi everyone…I guess I should be saying 'I do' right now, right?" He could see his father frowning at him in first row, holding his mother's hand as she put the other one to her face. He continued, "I will, but I have to know something first." The crowd began to chatter as he turned inward to face his bride. "Yukimi. Dear. I know the struggles you go through in our country. I know from Kel how strange it is, how different our customs are. I thought that you were okay with all that, but now I'm not so sure. I know in your situation, it would be hard not to find someone to confide in, but I'm not so sure that this person is the princess, or Kel." He whispered now. "Tell me the absolute truth, before everyone now, and tell me that you still love me, and I will happily say the words, and we can walk away together. Just tell me the truth, with out a mask."

Yuki's eyes began to flood. She too had a hard decision to make. She stepped away from Neal and spoke.

"We were…lovers when we were youths. You know who I'm talking about, Neal, I know you saw us. When I came here I forgot about it, because I thought I could begin again in a new country, with new people. I felt finally happy with you Neal, I did." She paused for a second trying to find the right words. "When it comes down to it, I am yamani, through and through, and even though I try to find a substitute I can't. Sometimes old memories come back to haunt you, and won't leave you alone. Two weeks ago my parents ordered me back to the islands to marry him. I told them that I couldn't, and I forced myself to believe in what I told them. I'm so sorry Neal…" She started crying, and Shinkokami came and put her arms around Yuki's shoulders.

Neal took a step towards her again, leaned down to kiss her on the cheek, and whispered, "I'm so sorry too." Then he preceeded to walk down the aisle, back to the doors. He wasn't quite out of the door when Yuki yelled back at him, "I wasn't the only one to keep secrets, Nealan. I know you still love her." He disappeared, pretending he hadn't heard.

The audience was in uproar. The royals were arguing. Yuki had sunk to the floor, Shinko trying to comfort her. Her yamani lover, hidden at the back until now, came up to help her. Kel and Dom had stepped off of the stage and had run together after Neal. Neal's family were too busy yelling at each other to notice. Duke Baird just sat there, thinking. He patted his wife, who sat next to him, a fresh onset of tears springing to her eyes. Baird leaned back and sighed. His son had a ridiculous inclination to drama.

Only Neal, hey. I'm not quite sure whether the characters are horribly OOC or not, but it seems to me that having all this bottled up feeling inside Neal is unhealthy. Ah well, please read and review. I don't know whether this is any good or not.

Next Chapter: Kel and Dom talk to Neal, Yuki goes back to the islands, Neal thinks seriously at what she yelled at him. Vic.


	2. Explanations

Last chapter: The audience was in uproar. The royals were arguing. Yuki had sunk to the floor, Shinko trying to comfort her. Her yamani lover, hidden at the back until now, came up to help her. Kel and Dom had stepped off of the stage and had run together after Neal. Neal's family were too busy yelling at each other to notice. Duke Baird just sat there, thinking. He patted his wife, who sat next to him, a fresh onset of tears springing to her eyes. Baird leaned back and sighed. His son had a ridiculous inclination to drama.

A/N: This chapter was heaps harder to write than the first. People may also still be out of character. Don't worry, it gets better from here!

Thank you very much for all who reviewed. The advice was really good. I wanted to reply to every review, but I really wanted to post this, so Ill add them to next times.

Chapter 2: Explanations

Neal unlocked the door to his room and flopped onto his bed without bothering to lock it again. He waited, almost in anticipation. 'Soon they will all be after me, the yamanis, Yuki's friends' he thought with a gulp, 'my friends.' He cursed himself at his stupidity. If only he had realised earlier, he could have ended the engagement civilly, instead of embarrassing both himself and Yuki. 'I just had to do it in an as public way as possible! Stupid Meathead!' Neal grimaced at the use of his nickname on himself. He carefully listened to the outside. He could hear footsteps. They were coming…

Kel and Dom came to a stop at Neal's door. They looked at each other, hesitant, and tried the door handle. Kel didn't expect it to open. Then again, Neal had left in an awful hurry. They stepped inside, without knocking. Neal looked up at them and smirked. "Where's the rotten fruit then? Or did you get ahead of everyone else?" He stood up, angry now. "Didn't your mothers teach you to knock on doors anyway? What are you two doing here?" Kel and Dom stayed where they were, a good 3 feet away from him. Dom spoke first, "We had to come to make sure you were okay. Not to throw food, besides, all of the winter fruit is much too ripe to throw at you anyway." He gave a wry smile. Kel took a step forward, "We are your best friends Neal, but you have really hurt Yuki, and I'm not going to come to your side automatically for that. You may be hurt, but she was the one that was just accused on her wedding day. She's mortified you know."

Neal sat down again. His decision came crashing down on him now. He had made the wrong choice and he knew it. He lay down on his bed and turned his back on them. Dom smiled sadly at Kel, then went back to see what had happened in the hall. Kel sat down on the bed next to Neal. "Look," she said, "Are you absolutely sure of what you said in there?" Neal muffled a yes. "Then, maybe ending the relationship was the best thing to do. I know what you are like, and if you spend the next month in here, feeling guilty, and trying to avoid the stir this is going to cause, you aren't going to make it any better. I sorry meathead, but you bought this upon yourself, and although I can help you make it better, you are going to have to do most of the repair work yourself. The war may be winding down, but it isn't over yet. In a few months our leave will be over, and we will be back in a fort, fighting Scanrans. This realm needs a strong and healthy knight, not one who is laden with guilt and uncertainty." With this she left his room and went to see Yuki. Neal stayed there for a few hours, and slept.

Yuki folded her wedding dress and put it into a box. Tonight she should've been partying, then moving into her new rooms with Neal. Instead she would be packing, for home. She looked out the window at the disappearing light. It had been 5 hours since Neal had left her. She had spent the first of that with Newali, Shinko, and later Kel. They had eventually gotten her to her rooms where they first talked, then played some games to stop her unbidden tears. She had become much like the tortallans in the last few months. Then they had left her alone, to consider the direction her life had decided to take. Later, Neal came out to say goodbye. She left without an argument. They quickly decided that they would continue to be friends, but no more. Yuki put her mask on as she farewelled her best friends. Then she simply hopped into the carriage, and left with no fuss at all.

Within a day, their lives had taken a strange turn. Neal and Yuki were spouseless, and Kel and Dom were worried about their friend's turn in attitude. He was being weird, weirder than usual.

Neal lay on his bed that night, thinking. Tomorrow was the day that he would face everybody. Tomorrow was the day. He tried not to think of it. He thought instead of Kel. Something weird was happening, he knew that much. In fact, it had been going on for ages. 'I can't be in love with my best friend! Can't I_?'_ He kept on trying to deny it to himself, but he couldn't lie to himself. Kel was the one who flung him into the mud when he was out of practice, woke him up when he wanted more sleep, and made him eat his blasted vegetables, and he loved her for all of that. He realised with a start that Yuki had known all about it all along, and hadn't ever mentioned it until the wedding. 'What have I put her through?'

Next chapter: Midwinter ball (just because 2 people broke up, doesn't mean the festivities stop) and Neal faces the masses. We also shall see how his family reacts.

Read and Review pleeeeeaaaaaase!


	3. Breakfast and Family

Disclaimer: yeah obviously im not Tamora Pierce

Disclaimer: yeah obviously im not Tamora Pierce.

Last chapter: He kept on trying to deny it to himself, but he couldn't lie to himself. Kel was the one who flung him into the mud when he was out of practice, woke him up when he wanted more sleep, and made him eat his blasted vegetables, and he loved her for all of that. He realised with a start that Yuki had known all about it all along, and hadn't ever mentioned it until the wedding. 'What have I put her through?'

Neal got up, got dressed and went to the mess hall to get some breakfast. He didn't want to do this, in fact he thought it was really stupid, but he knew it had to be done. He walked through the corridor, and waited at Kel's room for her to come out, and for Dom to meet up with them. Kel came out, fresh from a bath after practice, and Dom came running down the corridor, a few minutes late. The three looked at each other, nodded, and walked towards the hall, little being discussed between them.

When they arrived, people stared. It wasn't the handsome sergeant, wearing his second best uniform, or even the lady knight in her tunic and boots, but Neal. They whispered after him, glared at him, laughed at him and although not until they reached a table of fellow young knights, looked apologetic at him. Neal sat down with a sigh between Kel and Dom and watched as the nearest people moved seats. This was a lot bigger than he thought. Turns out news spreads, and nobody wanted to be near the centre of it.

"Don't worry, they'll all forget about it as soon as the next scandal comes along," Kel whispered. Faleron and Seaver started talking about the new range saddles Raven Armoury had brought out. "'Course none of us can afford one, except Kel maybe," Faleron laughed. Anything to get away from the current situation. "That was a gift from Lady Alanna, remember," Kel tried to remind him, trying to eat through her breakfast as fast as possible for Neal's sake. Faleron, who had noticed Kel's hastiness said, "I wasn't talking about that. You've probably forgotten with recent events but the king was going to reward you for what you did in Scanra tonight at the ball. Who knows, you might have enough for a new saddle or two."

Kel almost choked. She had forgotten about the ball. She had forgotten to pick up her dress from Lalasa! Kel quickly said her apologies and ran out of the hall. She had so much to do today!

"Nealan, darling! Did you really have to do that to that poor Yamani girl?" Auntie Domicela gave Neal a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. Dom came up behind her, "Mother, I already explained the situation." The rest of the family came in, half looking disapprovingly at Neal, the rest not looking happy, but not looking as if they thought he was a disappointment, which was how he was feeling. He sat down, in between his cousin and his father; ready for anything anybody threw at him. Surprisingly, the mood was quite light. At first there had been a few questions and the recurring "did you really think it was the right thing to do?," but soon the conversations steered well away from the wedding and into Neal and Dom's lives as soldiers.

"So Nealan how was life at the refugee camp, before you came to Corus?" Asked Dom's elder brother, Colin. "I really miss that life." Sir Colin had been badly injured in a skirmish a few years back, and couldn't walk without a cane. Neal thought about it before answering. "Life is good, surprising really. Apart from the presence of my so-called cousin here," He looked at Dom. "It's been good actually. The village is just about finished, the walls are stronger than before, Kel's doing a fantastic job training the civilians and…" Everyone had tuned in to hear. Neal blanched slightly.

"You followed her on that mission into Scanra didn't you?" Domicela smiled, eager to hear more from him, "Domitan told me about it in letters, but it is so long since we all got together like this." Neal relaxed, they weren't going to talk about Kel.

Later, when he walked back to his rooms, Dom followed him. Although skilled at tracking, a vase got in the way, and he came crashing to the ground, alerting his thinking cousin of his presence. Neal helped him up with a raised eyebrow, "Well?"

Dom dusted himself off and said innocently, "Well what?" Neal began walking again. Tonight would be an interesting night.

Ok so I didn't get onto the ball yet. Next time. I promise I will update more quickly this time.


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